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LaRoche undergoes thumb surgery

LaRoche undergoes thumb surgery

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Dodgers rookie third baseman Andy LaRoche underwent surgery on Monday to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. He will be sidelined from eight to 10 weeks.

LaRoche, 24, had two pins inserted to reattach the ligament in a procedure performed by Dr. Steve Shin in Los Angeles. The pins will be removed after three weeks, after which he will begin a rehab program expected to last another five weeks.

LaRoche was injured on a freak play Friday when a pickoff throw from catcher Danny Ardoin ricocheted off a baserunner and struck LaRoche at the base of his thumb.

Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.